Stockholm, 09/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson assured that Sweden, during the six months of his Presidency of the EU Council, would do absolutely everything to promote the stability and success of the Euro and the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), even if it is not a member of the Eurogroup and if its internal political situation does not leave the impression of a rapid access to the single currency. "We want to do a good job as the Presidency (…) we want to be a good Presidency", which actively supports the developments of the integration and this includes the Euro, even if, presently, a majority of Swedes are hostile towards the EU in general and a preparation for the Euro in particular, said Mr Persson on Monday evening in Stockholm to a group of Brussels correspondents. "It is important that the Euro be a success, as a failure would have considerable consequences, not only for the countries of the Euro area, but also for the other member countries, the candidate countries and Europe as a whole", felt Mr Persson, who added: "We have decided to accede to the Euro at a time when we will be ready", that is to say very probably as soon as the next round of wage formation is behind us in Sweden and that the rate of unemployment has fallen, in order to ensure to Swedes that their social acquis are not endangered. "I do not know when this will be the case, but I think that at that time, the Swedes will be prepared for the Euro", noted Mr Persson.
As for the Swedish Finance Minister, Bosse Ringholm, who will chair the meetings of the Ecofin Council (whoever without taking part in the meetings of the Eurogroup), he also underlined: "Even is we are not part of the Eurogroup, we obviously hope that the Euro will be a success. We will do our utmost to promote its success during the Swedish Presidency". The failure of the referendum on the Euro in Denmark no doubt had a negative impact on the climate in Sweden, concerning the Euro, but Mr Ringholm hoped that as of 2002, with the practical introduction of the Euro, the Swedish population will increase its awareness of the benefits of the single currency. The government entrusted, last autumn, a group of experts with examining the economic conditions and other in which Sweden could join the Euro area; This group will submit its report in January 2002, and it will require either way undertaking a referendum before the government takes a decision on the preparation of the Euro, said the Minister.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Persson explained that the preparation for the single currency, in the 1990s, no doubt had a "considerable" positive impact on economic development in Sweden, as the respect for the convergence criteria imposed by the Maastricht Treaty for the participation in the Euro enabled the country to exit its deep economic crisis at the start of the 1990s. "The Maastricht criteria were important for us. We have absolutely wanted to respect them, in order to be able to put our public finances in order", he said, while feeling that, without accession to the EU and without the Maastricht criteria, Sweden would have had enormous difficulties in exiting this crisis.